Gosho 御義口伝 Orally Transmitted Teachings on the Lotus Sutra

此の妙法等の五字を末法・白法隠没(びゃくぼうおんもつ)の時上行菩薩・御出世有つて五種の修行の中には四種を略して但(ただ)受持の一行にして成仏す可しと経文に親(まのあた)り之れ有り、

These passages in the “Supernatural Powers” chapter are stating clearly and emphatically that, with regard to the five characters Myoho-renge-kyo, in the Latter Day of the Law, when the Pure Law of Shakyamuni Buddha has passed into extinction, Bodhisattva Superior Practices will appear in the world to proclaim them and, of the five types of practice advocated by Shakyamuni, to accept and uphold, to read, to recite, to explain and preach, and to copy the Lotus Sutra, will explain that only the first, to accept and uphold the sutra, is to be practiced as the way to attain Buddhahood.

The sutra clearly states that in the Latter Day of the Law, when the pure Law is obscured and lost, Bodhisattva Jōgyō will make his advent in order to lead all living beings to attain enlightenment, which only can be attained through the single practice of embracing the five characters of Myoho-Renge-Kyo, since it contains the practice of the other four of the five practices.

夫(さ)れば神力品に云く「於我滅度後(おがめつどご)・応受持斯(おうじゅじし)経(きょう)・是人於(ぜにんの)仏道(ぶつどう)・決定(けつじょう)無有疑(むうぎ)」云云、此の文明白なり、

　This is what the “Super Natural Powers” chapter means when it says, “Therefore a person of wisdom, / . . . after I have passed into extinction /should accept and uphold this sutra [Gohonzon and Daishonin's writings]. / Such a person assuredly and without doubt / will attain the Buddha way.” The meaning of this passage is perfectly obvious.

仍(よ)つて此の文をば仏の廻向(えこう)の文と習うなり、

　Hence we traditionally refer to this passage as the statement of the Buddha in which he transfers his merit to the upholders of the sutra.


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